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Refuse and Recycling Cart Exchanges Cut Back

Friday, August 8, 2008 - 8:14am

The Streets Division will not be able to make most refuse and recycling cart exchanges for the remainder of the year. Due to a shortage of carts, the Streets Division cannot honor requests for the large 95-gallon recycling carts nor are they able to offer 35 gallon refuse carts.

"We have exhausted our inventory of 95 gallon recycling carts and 35 gallon refuse carts for 2008," Madison recycling coordinator George Dreckmann said. "Due to the stress on our budget from the record snow fall this past winter, we do not have funds to purchase any additional carts this year."

The Streets Division has distributed almost 500 of the 35-gallon refuse carts and over 1,000 95-gallon recycling carts to residents and businesses in 2008. Most of the carts went to people who wanted smaller refuse carts and larger recycling carts.

"We have a limited supply of 65-gallon refuse carts for people wishing to trade in their 95-gallon refuse carts," Dreckmann said. "We also have an adequate supply of 65 and 35 gallon recycling carts.

"We have requested funds for cart exchanges as part of our 2009 Operating Budget request," Dreckmann said. "If those funds are approved we will be able to resume cart exchanges in February of 2009."

Residents who wish to exchange their current carts for the small refuse cart or largest recycling cart are asked to wait until January to call the Streets Division, as no waiting list will be kept until that time.